The Milestone
by gertie-flirty
Summary: Sequel to "The Problem is the Noble Prize  And Also Leonard ."  Penny tells Sheldon something important, and he has no idea how to react. Complete!
1. This Concept of 'Wuv'

The Milestone

By gertie_flirty

Summary: Sequel to "The Problem is the Noble Prize (And Also Leonard)." Penny tells Sheldon something important, and he has no idea how to react.

Spoilers: Nearly everything aired will more than likely be mentioned or referenced. Please don't read if you don't want to be spoiled.

Rated: Teen, for makeouts and talk of sex.

A/N: Okay, now it's just getting shippy. Enjoy!

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Part One: This Concept Of 'Wuv'

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Sheldon could play the piano.

She liked to watch. Straddling a chair backwards next to the keyboard set up in the bar at the restaurant. Watched as his thin, strong hands moved capably over the keys. It was the end of her shift, and the bar was emptying out.

"I wish you all had a proper instrument," Sheldon muttered.

"It's a bar in a chain restaurant, honey, you're lucky we have that." Penny rested her arms on the back of the chair, then rested her chin on top.

Sheldon shrugged.

"What are you playing? It doesn't sound like classical." Penny said.

"It's not. It's some terrible pop song I heard on the radio today. It was stuck in my head, and this is the only way to get it out."

"You can play a song after only hearing it one time?"

He looked up at her. "Yes."

She smiled. She wondered why she even asked anymore. Sheldon always answered questions the same way; baffled they were even asked in the first place. He really believed himself capable of anything.

Sometimes, she believed it too.

She watched his hands again. Wondering when those hands, those fingers, would move over her like that. He tried, sometimes, but they had never gone all the way. He had touched her, in places she liked to be touched, but only briefly, nervously, with a great air of hesitation.

It didn't help that she was just as nervous. She was a mature, experienced woman, but having to teach anything to Sheldon was frightening. And she had to be the one to teach him, because he just didn't know.

They just weren't ready. She'd never thought she'd say that after being with a man for three months, but it was true.

"You ready to go?" she asked him.

He plunked out the last few notes of the song. "Yes."

They grabbed their jackets and left the restaurant. The night was cool and brisk, a bit early for autumn in Pasadena, but definitely windbreaker weather.

"I had to park down the block," Penny said. Sheldon nodded.

She liked this. Walking next to Sheldon, even though they weren't holding hands or touching in any way. "How was work today?"

"The same as always."

"How's Bridget?"

He wrinkled his nose. "My research assistant? Why do you care?"

"Dunno." Penny shrugged and looked up at the sky.

After a moment, Sheldon said, "Penny, are you jealous?"

"Maybe a little." Penny suddenly found the sidewalk extremely interesting.

"I want you to know your jealousy is purposeless. I learned long ago that I am not the type of man who attracts women superfluously. Frankly, it's what my mother considers a miracle that I'm in a relationship with you."

Penny stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and spun around to face him. "You know, Sheldon. For a guy with an ego like yours, sometimes you just don't get it."

"Get what?"

"Forget it, Sheldon."

"Am I forgetting the same 'it' that I don't get?"

She couldn't help but laugh as they neared her car. "Just get in the car, Sheldon. Let's go home."

Xxxxxxx

He walked her to her door, like always. She kissed him goodnight. Asked if he wanted to come in. He did. They didn't have sex; neither was expecting that. The sat on the couch together and watched Conan. She curled up next to him, and he loosely placed his arm around her.

"You smell like liquor."

"You smell like science."

"Science does not have a smell."

"Yes it does. It smells like you."

"I smell of a mixture of hypoallergenic soap, lotion, a no-fuss hair care product, and laundry detergent. "

"You smell like dry-erase markers and cinderblocks and notebook paper. You smell like calculators and shoelaces and a wooden desk. You smell like science."

"I don't see how calculators can have a smell," Sheldon said. "But I will concede on the other points."

"I like it when you let me win," Penny smiled. She kissed him on the cheek. She stared at him for a long time, at the profile of his face. His set jaw. His serious eyes. "I love you, Sheldon."

Sheldon froze. As if balanced on a steel pole, his head swiveled stiffly to face Penny. His eyes were so wide she could see the whites all around the irises.

"Oh." Sheldon squeaked. "Thank you. Excuse me."

He slithered free of her grasp and ran out the front door.

Penny stared after him, debating or not whether she should follow. After a minute, she shrugged, got up, closed the door, then sat back on the couch and watched Conan, saying to herself, "Yep. That's about right."


	2. Anticipation

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Part Two: Anticipation

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Sheldon was running across the hallway, calling Leonard's name repetitively.

"Leonard. Leonard. Leonard. Leonard. Leonard . . ."

By the time Sheldon reached his own apartment, Leonard was stumbling out of his bedroom in his robe, pushing his glasses up his nose. Sheldon slammed the door behind himself and backed up against it like a prison escapee caught in a searchlight. At the sight of Leonard, he perked up.

"Oh good. You're awake."

Leonard sighed heavily. "Yes. Good."

Sheldon walked away from the door over to the kitchen where Leonard began making coffee. "You know it's rather late to be ingesting caffeine."

"I have a feeling it's going to be a long night," replied Leonard, filling the coffee pot. "Now what is your problem?"

"It's Penny."

"Sheldon, I really don't want to give you relationship advice. Especially not about Penny."

"But I really need your help. Something terrible has happened."

Leonard raised his eyebrows. "Oh dear Lord. She didn't . . . finally make you a man, did she?"

Sheldon gave him a confused look. "I'm already a man, Leonard."

"According to some. I meant, did she . . . did the two of you . . .eh?"

Sheldon only gave him a blank stare.

Leonard paused, filling his coffee cup, then gave a heavy, deep, soul wracking sigh that shook him to the bone. He was going to say something he never in his darkest, most fearful nightmares ever imagined he would say. "Sheldon, did you and Penny participate in coitus?"

Sheldon looked genuinely shocked. "What? No! No, no, no, no, no. She simply told me she loved me."

Coffee spurted out of Leonard's mouth like a fountain. "What?"

"Penny. She said, 'I love you.' 'I' referring to her, and 'you' referring to me."

Wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his robe, Leonard was only able to stare at his friend in shock. "She told you she loved you?"

"Yes, Leonard, I've established that twice now." Sheldon was losing patience. Suddenly, a realization hit him and a look of horror crossed his face. "Do you think she said it because she was expecting coitus?"

"No, Sheldon, girls don't do that." Leonard paused. "Boys do that."

"I find your statement outdated and sexist. There is no logical reason a woman wouldn't be able to manipulate a man's feelings in pursuit of sexual gratification."

"Ah, yes, Sheldon the feminist." Leonard sighed, yet again, and sank into the chair in the living room. "All right. Sit down."

Sheldon sat in his corner of the couch. "I never understood how sitting was conducive to talking. Penny does the same thing whenever she wants to talk. 'Sit, Sheldon.' What matter is it if I'm standing or sitting? Ridiculous."

"You're changing the subject, Sheldon."

Sheldon squirmed, avoiding Leonard's gaze.

"So she told you she loved you, which I still can't believe. And then you said?"

"'Thank you.'"

"And then?"

"'Excuse me.'"

"And then?"

"And then I came over here."

Leonard threw his hands up in the air in frustration. "You mean she said it just now?"

"Well, not now. It's probably been a good ten minutes."

"I can't believe you! You have to go back over there and tell her you love her!"

Sheldon gave him a look of bewilderment. "Why would I do that?"

"You do love her, don't you?"

Sheldon thought about this. "I don't know. I love my mother. I love my spot. I love Battlestar Galactica. I've never felt the way I do about those things that I do about Penny."

Leonard was rubbing his forehead now, squinching his eyes together in exasperation. "I mean, Sheldon, are you in love with Penny? It's a completely different love than the one you have for your mother." Leonard couldn't help but smirk a little as he added, "I hope."

Sheldon cocked his head to the side. "That is a very good question. I have no idea. I'll have to do some research."

And with that, Sheldon was across the room, typing furiously on his computer.

Leonard wanted to stop him. Correct him. But he honestly couldn't think of a single thing to say. He was a little angry, of course, that Penny could tell Sheldon she loved him but had never been able to say it to Leonard himself. One more piece of proof that she truly did want to be with Sheldon more than she had ever wanted Leonard.

How depressing.

He fought the urge to be selfish and mean and give Sheldon bad advice. Sheldon would have to figure this out on his own, somehow.

As Leonard dumped the rest of his coffee into the sink, he wondered how in the world Sheldon was going to research love.

Whatever the results were, it would be fun to watch.


	3. The Truth is in the Music

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Part Three: The Truth is in the Music

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Leonard left the apartment in the morning at the same time Penny was leaving hers.

"Oh hey." She said. "Where's Sheldon?"

"He's still asleep. He was up late last night working on a . . . project." They started walking down the stairs together. On the second floor, Leonard, rather unsubtly, cleared his throat. "So . . ."

"So?"

"So you and Sheldon?"

"Me and Sheldon?"

"You guys . . . doing okay?"

"Yes. Why?" She tilted her head slightly, looking clueless.

"Oh, no reason. No reason at all."

"Did he say something?"

"What? No, no. No. Not Sheldon."

Penny shrugged absentmindedly. When they got to the bottom of the stairs, Leonard said, "Oh, dammit, I forgot my wallet. I'll see you later, Penny."

Penny smiled and waved goodbye as she went out the door and he hurried back upstairs. As soon as she was outside, her eyes went wide.

SHELDON HAD TOLD LEONARD. Okay, don't freak out. So what? Leonard's not involved in your relationship. But what did Sheldon tell him? Did Sheldon say he loved you? Did he say he didn't love you? Was he going to break up with you? Again? And Leonard! Oh, God, Leonard must be miserable!

"Oh," said Penny. "Crap."

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When Leonard returned to the apartment, Sheldon was awake and back at his computer, still in his robe.

"Sheldon—"

"Leonard, I am facing a conundrum."

"Really?" Leonard started looking around for his wallet. It was here someplace . . .

"Yes. The research I have done on 'love' is very conflicting. Some sources say it lifts us up where we belong, while others say love hurts! It wounds, Leonard! It scars and marks! It's dangerous!"

"Umm-hmm," Leonard replied, digging in the couch cushions.

"And then they say loving you is easy because you're beautiful. I don't think they mean love at all, but pheromone induced attraction."

"What kind of research have you been doing?" asked Leonard, finally interested.

"Like the minstrels of old, I have turned to music. I've been researching various love songs. They seem to sum up the feeling most succinctly. I found one that definitely expressed my views on the subject. Here, listen." Sheldon opened a file on his computer and turned up the volume on the small speaker. After a few seconds, a thumping, loud, strangely familiar techno beat began playing. Leonard was subconsciously bobbing his head along to the song even before the lyrics began:

"_What is love? Baby, don't hurt me, don't hurt me, no more. What is love? Baby, don't hurt me, don't hurt me, no more . . ."_

"See?" said Sheldon. "I too, wish to know 'what is love?' I even share Mr. Haddaway's opinions on babies, as they carry untold amounts of diseases." He turned the volume back down and faced Leonard.

"Sheldon, you're regressing."

Sheldon looked surprised. "What are you talking about?"

"The Sheldon I've known for the past three months has become a more mature, sociable, empathetic person. Now you're acting like a ridiculous mockery of your former self. Grow up, Sheldon."

Sheldon looked deeply offended. He stood up from his chair slowly. "Don't use your second hand psychiatric hokum on me, Leonard—"

"It's not hokum! Your relationship with Penny is finally getting serious and you're scared to death!" Leonard stood his ground. "You just have to be honest with yourself, for once in your life. How do you really feel about Penny?"

Sheldon, for once, had nothing to say. He slowly sat back down into his chair, stunned. For a long time he was quiet. At last, he said, "I don't know."

"Well, tell her that, then. I have to go." Leonard turned and left the apartment.

Sheldon stared at his computer without doing anything. Minutes passed.

"'Regressing,'" Sheldon scoffed. "Preposterous."

He double clicked, and the song resumed playing.

"_What is love? Baby, don't hurt me, don't hurt me, no more . . ."_


	4. Made to Make You Blue

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Part Four: Made to Make You Blue

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In the afternoon, Sheldon went downstairs to get his mail. As he was opening his mailbox, Penny entered the lobby of the apartment, just getting home from work.

Sheldon stiffened, letters in hand. "Penny."

"Hey, Sheldon." She smiled brightly and kissed him on the cheek.

"I'm relieved to see you aren't mad at me." Sheldon relaxed a little.

"Mad? Why would I be mad?"

"Well . . . " Sheldon gestured for her to lead the way up the stairs. "After your . . . confession last night, Leonard admonished me for not returning your feelings immediately. And this morning he accused me of a fear of commitment, which I am confident is a meaningless theory. "

"Ah." Said Penny. "So what does that mean?"

"I am supposed to tell you the truth. I don't know how I feel, Penny."

"Oh." Penny said this a little softly, looking down at the steps as she climbed. She cleared her throat and said brightly, "Don't worry about it, moonpie. I know you. I wasn't expecting you to say it back. Really."

Sheldon let out a deep breath. "That's a huge relief."

She laughed. As they arrived at the fourth floor, she kissed him in front of his door. "I'm hanging out with Bernadette tonight, so I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Sure," said Sheldon, obviously looser.

"And really, Sheldon, I'm okay, don't worry about me!" Penny called out in a singsong as they entered their respective apartments. She smiled, shutting the door behind her. She was okay.

"WHY DOESN'T SHELDON LOVE MEEEEEEEEE?"

She was drunk. She was on the floor in Bernadette's apartment, lying on her back, staring at the ceiling, bandying her bottle of beer about with no regard for the carpet.

"I mean, I'm awesome," Penny continued. "And great. I'm awesome and great. He should totally love me."

"Penny," said Bernadette worriedly, "It's only 7 o'clock, and you're really drunk-"

"You don't—" Penny hiccupped. "You don't know anything!" She struggled to her feet, pulling herself up on furniture. "Nothing!" Almost immediately, she regretted this. "I'm sorry, Bernadette, you know things. Adorable things. You're adorable. I just want to—I just want to cuddle you to death."

Rather awkwardly, Penny cradled Bernadette's head in her arms and squeezed it against her breasts. "So adorable."

"That's nice," Bernadette said softly, gently dislodging herself from Penny's grasp. Penny thwumped down onto the couch. "Penny, why don't we talk about it—"

"No! I don't wanna talk about it!" Penny slammed her beer bottle down on the coffee table. "Okay, listen. How can I say 'I love you' and he doesn't say it back? He's not actually a robot! He has feelings! Human feelings! I've seen them! I-I-" she started to sob. "I _love_ them!"

"There, there," Bernadette said, giving her an awkward hug. "He's just being a man. All men have trouble saying 'I love you.'"

"Oh yeah? How long did it take Howard?"

"Well, that's different—"

"And Leonard said it to me—" Penny gasped and sat up straight. "That's it! This is some sort of divine retribution for when Leonard told me he loved me and I didn't say it back! I know what I have to do! I just have to be patient and not pressure Sheldon and let things develop naturally. And stay away from Wil Wheaton. " Penny's eyes narrowed. "Wheaton!"

"Sounds like a plan!" Bernadette said cheerfully.

"Yesh!" Penny cried. "A genius plan!"

And then she passed out on the couch.

"Oh dear," said Bernadette. There was a knock on her door and she went to answer it. Howard was there, with more beer.

"Hey, babe," he said and kissed her on the cheek. "Whoa," he said, looking over her shoulder. "Penny's already trashed? There goes my plans for a threesome. Ah, just kidding!" he dodged a slap from Bernadette.

"She's very upset, Howard. Apparently, she used the 'L-word' with Sheldon."

"'Lesbians?'" Howard grinned. "Didn't think Sheldon was into that. Or Penny. That's kinda hot."

"No, Howard, not lesbians! I meant," Bernadette dropped her voice to a whisper, blushing slightly. "'Love.' She told Sheldon she loved him."

A look of surprise overcame Howard's face. "Oh, he must have freaked out. I wish I could have been there for that."

"Mmphrrgh," Penny moved from the couch.

"So what do we do with her? She can't stay here," said Bernadette. "My mom is coming in the morning, and she'll accuse me of being wanton and associating with riffraff."

"Your mother actually uses the word riffraff? Is she a villain from Oliver Twist?" Howard said.

"No, Howard, you've met her—"

"It was a joke, Bernadette." Howard said.

"Oh, I get it!" She giggled cutely.

"Maybe I should start using 'bazinga,'" Howard said under his breath. "Anyway, let's get her out of here."

"How?"

"I know how."


	5. It's Kinda Sad

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Part Five: It's Kinda Sad

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Howard opened the door before Sheldon could knock.

"Hey buddy."

"Buddy." Sheldon replied awkwardly. "What is the emergency?"

"That." Howard gestured to the unconscious figure of Penny on the couch. "Take her home."

Sheldon glared at him. "How am I supposed to get her out of here?"

"I don't know. Carry her, I guess."

"Much like you, Wolowitz, I have negligible upper body strength. There is no way I could simply carry her."

"Give her a piggy-back ride, then." Bernadette suggested.

Sheldon sighed. "As degrading as that would be, I suppose I'll have to."

Sheldon crouched next to the couch, and Howard and Bernadette gently lifted Penny onto his back. Penny mumbled in her sleep and clutched at Sheldon reflexively.

"Dear lord she's choking me—" he gasped out.

Bernadette quickly loosened Penny's grasp just enough. Sheldon, with all of the strength he possessed, struggled to his feet, his arms hitched under Penny's legs, adjusting her so she was balanced properly.

"You called a cab, right?" Bernadette asked.

"Yes, it's waiting downstairs," Sheldon said, moving to the door.

"You got her, buddy?" Howard asked opening the door.

"Actually, I could use some-"

SLAM.

The door shut in Sheldon's face. "How rude," he huffed.

He turned, slowly, to begin the walk down the stairs. At least Bernadette only lived on the second floor, and there was only one flight of steps. Penny's hot, liquor-filled breath was on the back of his neck, irritating him. She was heavy. He wondered how much she weighed. Comparably, not very much, though it didn't matter as he was not strong at all anyway. He tried to console himself by thinking of Penny as a damsel in distress, and he was the hero come to rescue her.

How on earth had his life come to this? He had a beautiful girlfriend who was madly in love with him. Although it shouldn't be that unbelievable, he was, after all, Doctor Sheldon Cooper, charitable genius.

And now, hero.

Ah. Perhaps this is what Penny had meant when she said he didn't get it. He was desirable to women. He felt oddly pleased that Penny found him that attractive.

The cabbie helped him open the door and situate Penny in the back seat. Sheldon sat with her, and she draped herself over him. Again, he wondered when he had become so comfortable with physical contact. What had Penny done to him? She had changed him.

The cab ride was mercifully short, but carrying Penny up four flights of stairs, even piggy-back style, was destructive on his body. He just barely managed to get inside her apartment before he dropped her on the couch.

Unfortunately, the drop was a little too hard and she woke up, blinking widly.

"Whazzat?" she said, rubbing her eyes. "Sheldon?"

"Ah, yes, Penny. I had to take you home from Bernadette's."

"Oh, okay." She mumbled, closing her eyes and lying down. "I'm horrible."

Sheldon was confused. "I'm sorry?"

"I did to Leonard what you're doing to me. It sucks." Her eyes remained closed, her words slurred, but she was talking.

"I don't understand."

"Why don't you love me, Sheldon?" she muttered this, but it was soft, and it was obvious she was falling back asleep.

Sheldon looked down at Penny in surprise. She began snoring softly, which was fine, because he had no reply. He looked at her, at her blonde hair wildly falling over her face, at her lips parted slightly as she breathed in and out.

He pulled the blanket off of the back of the couch and covered her up. As he left the apartment, he paused, turning to look back at her, and wondered why on earth he didn't love her.


	6. Ellipse of the Heart

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Part Six: Ellipse of the Heart

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Sheldon struggled up the stairs to the roof with his equipment. Luckily, this would be his last trip. Unbelievably, none of his so-called friends had been willing to help him move the telescope and other tools up two flights of stairs. He was especially disappointed in Raj, who was an astrophysicist, for Spock's sake.

No. They were all too busy playing some video game where women in nearly non-existent bikinis beat the dirt out of each other.

Tonight was supposed to be particularly clear, and an eclipse was due in a few weeks. Sheldon wanted to monitor the movement of a few certain stars, to use as a benchmark when the eclipse actually happened.

It was chilly. He pulled his windbreaker snugly around him as he made notations in his ledger.

"Sheldon?" Penny was there, at the door to the roof stairwell. She had her winter coat on and a scarf hanging loosely from her neck. She smiled at him.

"Penny. Glad to see you're feeling better."

"Yeah, I had a pretty bad hangover." She had woken up this morning, sick to her stomach, her head throbbing. She was also in possession of a thick feeling of regret. The last thing she remembered clearly was hugging Bernadette's head. There were also some vague memories of the back of Sheldon's head, but she had no idea what those meant.

"So what are you doing?" she asked. "Is there an eclipse?"

"Not yet. There will be in a few weeks."

"Neat." Suddenly, she looked worried. "It's 'eclipse,' right? Not 'ellipse?' Sometimes I get those words mixed up."

"No, an ellipse is an elongated circle."

"Like an oval?"

"Not quite." He silently made a few more notations.

"Wow," she said, looking up at the sky. "It's really beautiful out here tonight. You can see everything."

"Almost." Sheldon replied, peering into the telescope.

"You know, it's really cool."

"It is chilly tonight, yes."

She laughed. "No, I meant what you do. You investigate the wonders of the universe. You want to know how it all works. And you really understand it. It really blows me away sometimes. There's just so much out there, and you want to know it all. And you really try your best at it. It's amazing."

Sheldon looked up from the telescope. Penny was still staring wide-eyed at the sky.

He thought about his past relationships, if they could be called that.

Nowitzki. She had been enthusiastic, but would not let him do anything. He could not play paintball or video games or read comic books.

Penny played paintball with him. She played Halo with him. She took him to the comic book store.

Amy Farrah Fowler. A genius in her own right, she had no respect for his work. A complete disregard for the science he cared about so much.

Penny admired what he did. She couldn't understand it, but she appreciated it. Respected it. Thought it –- he — was amazing

Penny had changed him, but he felt better for it.

He continued to look at her looking at the sky. The starlight and the streetlamps brought a soft glow to her face, illuminating strands of her hair that fell softly about her shoulders.

"I love you, Penny," he said.

She turned to look at him very slowly. At first, there seemed to be a look of fear on her face, with her eyebrows knotted up and her eyes wide.

Then, she smiled. And it was one of the most spectacular sights he had ever seen.

Penny. Penny was throwing her arms around his neck. Penny was pulling him down to her. Penny was kissing him, fervently.

He dropped his binder off the edge of the roof, but didn't care. His arms were now free to wrap around Penny in return, pulling her even closer.

When they finally parted, he said, a bit shyly, "I believe it is customary in relationships that when one partner says 'I love you,' the other is to respond with 'I love you, too.'"

Penny bit her bottom lip and narrowed her eyes, seeming to hold back something. She finally replied, "I love you too, Sheldon."

"Very well then." Sheldon separated himself from her. "I need to go pick up my binder."

"Let's do that later," Penny said. "How about we just look at the stars?"

A thousand protestations swirled in Sheldon's mind. How could they simply look at the stars, without calculating distances or lightspeed or relativity?

But as he followed Penny's gaze skyward, he found himself silencing the voices in his head. The universe was beautiful. He had known this, always, somehow. After all, he was a physicist, and studying the elegance of stars, planets, and atoms was the basis of his work.

He reached down and took Penny's hand and squeezed it. She squeezed back.

Penny wondered if the rest of her life would be like this, standing on a rooftop staring at the stars with Sheldon.

She certainly hoped so.

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The End

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A/N: Hope you liked it. Thanks for reading. There will be another sequel! I'm really getting prolific now, huh? Anyway, the title of the fourth (!) fic in this series (which I am now naming 'Ellipse of the Heart' because my good friend Luke thought of that and it is awesome) will be "The Proposition Proposition." Which will be longer than this, and involve more characters! And locations! (Raj wasn't even in this one. ;_;) And probably more extensive author's notes! How thrilling! You are intrigued! You are excited! You are pumped!

I know I am. :D


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